Pollution Prevention (Household Efforts)

Practicing good housekeeping can help everyone minimize their impacts on the greater environment. While the goal of this part of the Nassau County Stormwater Management Program (NCSWMP) is to reduce pollutant runoff from Nassau County municipal operations by introducing new pollution reduction measures, private citizens can make great improvements to our local waters by making small changes in their everyday lives.

Maintaining Quality of Life
Every day the Nassau County Department of Public Works, Recreation and Parks Department, and Police Department undertake actions that maintain quality of life in Nassau County, yet when performed without consideration, can negatively impact Long Island’s waters. In order to reduce our impact, the county will implement personnel training programs, institute pollution prevention plans, and routinely inspect all facilities that are involved in operations that may impact water quality. Some of the county’s good housekeeping operations are:

We work with the New York State Department of Transportation to reduce the amount of salt and sand that is used for road deicing to the optimal level, therefore preventing excess salt and sediment from washing into our waterways.

An Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) has been adopted for county facilities, which reduces the amount of chemical pesticides and herbicides used in parks and buildings by advocating non-chemical practices and products.

The Department of Public Works and Department of Recreation and Parks have implemented a Goose Management Plan on county property. Non-migratory waterfowl, primarily the Canada Goose, contribute large amounts of nutrients and pathogens to our lakes and streams in the form of excrement.

The county now requires that all drainage projects with a discharge point that is larger than 36 inches must include a measure to prevent floatable waste and sediment from entering Long Island’s surrounding waters.

County roads are inspected daily for debris and flooding, and roads and catch basins are cleaned according to scheduled maintenance and according to need to prevent debris (including autumn leaves) from accumulating and washing into waterways.

We have drafted generic stormwater pollution prevention plans that will be shared with all members of the stormwater coalition, as well as a handbook that collects best management practices for municipal operations in one reference tool.